Latest news today (February 23): Presenting FE’s Breaking News today. We will keep you updated on all major news, views and much more throughout the day.
Nvidia hit $2 trillion in market value for the first time on Friday, riding on an insatiable demand for its chips that made the Silicon Valley firm the pioneer of the generative artificial intelligence boom. The milestone followed another bumper revenue forecast from the chip designer that drove up its market value by $277 billion on Thursday - Wall Street's largest one-day gain on record. (Reuters)
Zurich Insurance company will acquire 70 per cent stake in Kotak General for Rs 5,560 crore in single tranche. Initially, Zurich Insurance had announced early acquisition of 51 per cent and the rest of the 19 per cent in period of three years. The acquisition will be done via primary and secondary acquisitions. (Read More)
On Friday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar declared a waiver of interest and penalty on specific crop loans and refrained from increasing taxes in the Rs 1.89-lakh-crore budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. Amid escalated protests by farmers at the Punjab-Haryana borders, Khattar emphasized during the budget announcement that his administration has implemented numerous measures for farmers' welfare, including the provision of Minimum Support Price for 14 different crops.
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday issued a fresh set of guidelines for the smooth migration of the UPI operations linked to embattled Paytm Payments Bank. In a notice issued on Friday evening, the central bank said that the action against Paytm Payments Bank has been taken under Sec 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. (Read More)
In response to media queries regarding Indians caught in conflict in Russia, MEA Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal says, "We are aware that a few Indian nationals have signed up for support jobs with the Russian Army. The Indian Embassy has regularly taken up this matter with the relevant Russian authorities for their early discharge. We urge all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict." (Read More)
Firefighters and army specialists in Valencia assess the risks of entering a fire-ravaged residential block. Four dead and 14 missing in the blaze. Mayor Maria Jose Catala cites collapse threat and intense heat hampering rescue efforts. Firefighters battle flames, with parts of the building still smouldering 15 hours later.
Germany's parliament is poised to approve legislation this Friday that would legalize the cultivation and consumption of a restricted quantity of cannabis, aiming to regulate the activities of an estimated 4.5 million German users. The proposed law, introduced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling three-party coalition, would permit the cultivation of up to three plants for personal use and allow individuals to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis.
India will not rush into signing free trade agreements (FTA) unless there is an equitable and fair balance in trade deals, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. "We should never rush trade negotiations, they are going to impact the country for years and years to come," Goyal said at an event organised by an independent think tank. (Reuters)
There’s no end to the troubles for Byju Raveendran. A day after the Enforcement Directorate sought a ‘look out’ circular issued against him over the alleged FEMA violations, four Byju’s investors on Friday moved the NCLT against him. According to news agency PTI, the group of investors have filed a plea in the NCLT’s Bengaluru bench. (Read More)
Smoke was observed coming from Duronto Express at Rajbandh Railway Station in Durgapur as it traveled from Howrah to Delhi. Railway officials promptly intervened, bringing the smoke under control, allowing the train to continue its journey without further incident.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1760926602806931966
Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes among students at BHU in Varanasi. Here, he presented awards to the winners of Saansad Sanskrit Competition and also addressed them.
The Haryana Police on Friday revoked the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA), 1980 against some union leaders of the Ambala district after announcing it late on Thursday night, officials said. Sibash Kabiraj, IGP Ambala Range said that the NSA will not be invoked against the farm leaders. (ANI)
On Friday morning, a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus caught fire in this coastal district. According to the police, the incident took place while the bus was travelling between Kayamkulam and Alappuzha. Fortunately, all passengers escaped unharmed as the driver detected a burning odour and promptly instructed everyone to evacuate the bus.
Chinese media reported that numerous individuals sustained injuries following a collision involving over 100 cars on an icy section of an expressway in the city of Suzhou. This incident is the latest in a series of accidents triggered by extreme weather conditions. Dramatic footage aired on state television CCTV and circulated on social media depicted multiple cars clustered chaotically on the highway, with one vehicle sharply jack-knifed at an alarming angle in the air.
On Friday morning, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) initiated raids at approximately six locations in West Bengal as part of its ongoing investigation into absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan regarding the alleged Public Distribution System (PDS) scam. These actions follow the issuance of a fresh summons to Shahjahan to appear for investigation on February 29. ED officials, supported by central forces, commenced the search operation early in the day. (READ MORE)
Opposition BRS MLA G Lasya Nanditha tragically lost her life in a road accident near Patancheru today. The incident happened around 5:30 AM when the car she was travelling in collided with a metal crash barrier on the Outer Ring Road (ORR), leading to her untimely demise, as confirmed by the police. (READ MORE)
On Thursday, spacecraft crafted and operated by Intuitive Machines, a company headquartered in Texas, touched down near the south pole of the moon. This marks the first U.S. landing on the lunar surface in over fifty years, and notably, the inaugural achievement of the private sector in a lunar touchdown. (READ MORE)
Manohar Joshi, the ex-Speaker of Lok Sabha, breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital on Friday following a cardiac arrest. Joshi, aged 86, had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hinduja Hospital on February 21 and succumbed in the early hours of Friday, as confirmed by the private medical facility. (READ MORE)